Tampa Downtown Market back with new site, vendors

The Tampa Downtown Market will begin its sixth season of offering fresh, local produce amid the city’s skyscrapers Sunday. The market will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays through May 25 at a new location in a canopy-shaded lot at 601 N. Ashley Drive.

New for this season will be Duckweed Urban Market’s mobile gazebo, featuring a sampling of what the organic-focused market offers in its downtown store in the Element apartment tower, and AM Acre Farms, which will sell goat cheese, goat milk and goat bath products.

The market has new management in the form of special events company Big City Events, which organized the successful Tampa Bay Margarita Festival and Summer of Rum Festival this year. The company said it plans to add a “Non Profit First Sunday” event, when organizations will raise money with a fun activity.

Big City Events said it’s also planning to include more themed food offerings and activities pegged to holidays and events in downtown Tampa. This Sunday’s market will feature an Oktoberfest theme in honor of the weekend-long Oktoberfest event in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.

Another big change is coming in the way shoppers can pay for produce. Though it won’t be ready for this Sunday, the Tampa Downtown Partnership, which hosts the market, said it plans to have many of its vendors set up to accept EBT food cards.